List of birds by flight speed

This is a list of the average and fastest flight speeds achieved by birds. A bird's velocity is necessarily variable; a hunting bird will reach much greater speeds while diving to catch prey than when flying horizontally. The bird that can achieve the greatest speed is the peregrine falcon (Falco peregrinus), able to exceed 320 km/h (200 mph) in its dives.[1][2] A close relative of the common swift, the white-throated needletail (Hirundapus caudacutus), is commonly reported as the fastest bird in level flight with a reported top speed of 169 km/h (105 mph). This record remains unconfirmed as the measurement methods have never been published or verified. The record for the fastest confirmed level flight by a bird is 111.5 km/h (69.3 mph) held by the common swift.[3]

Anecdotal, unverifiable records are frequently reported for bird species.[4] Moreover, providing single, comparable flight speeds across Aves is extremely difficult, if not impossible: the value of any given measurement is subject to variation from 1) measurement tools;[5] 2) the influence of wind and climatic conditions at the time of measurement;[6] 3) the bird's lift, drag, and body position;[7] 4) variation in a species' flight behaviour at time of measurement (e.g., normal locomotion, escape, migration);[8] and 5) whether the bird is flapping or gliding,[9] among others.

Some values given for the horizontal speed of a bird are airspeed, or the velocity of its movement relative to the air (i.e., accounting for wind speed). Others are the bird's groundspeed, or the velocity of a bird relative to a fixed point on the ground.[9][10] Birds riding a strong tailwind will have much higher groundspeeds than any airspeed they could achieve under their own power (e.g., the mallard flight speed record[11]).

For these reasons, values given in this table are generally not appropriate to make comparisons between species.

Birds by flying speed

Common name Image Species Family Average horizontal speed Maximum horizontal speed Maximum speed Remarks
Peregrine falcon Falco peregrinus Falconidae 40–55 km/h
25–34 mph[12][13]		 112–160 km/h
70–99 mph[12][14]		 389 km/h
242 mph[15]
 Maximum speed is achieved via a streamlined, freefall dive from high altitudes.[16] Self-powered horizontal flight can reach ~ 112 km/h (70 mph), but has been measured at up to 160 km/h (99 mph) when pulling out of a dive.[14]
Gyrfalcon Falco rusticolus Falconidae 40–56 km/h
25–35 mph[14][17]		 187–209 km/h
116–130 mph[18]
Golden eagle Aquila chrysaetos Accipitridae 37–65 km/h
23–40 mph[19][20]		 190–195 km/h
118–121 mph[21][22]		 Maximum reported horizontal speed is the purported maximum of the species' gliding flight; the species can likely reach higher speeds in dives, though reported values of 240–320 km/h (150–200 mph) are "unlikely in most, if not all, situations".[21]
Mallard Anas platyrhynchos Anatidae 57–87 km/h
35–54 mph[5][23]		 166 km/h
103 mph[11]		 Maximum reported speed was assisted by large tailwind.[11]
Red-breasted merganser Mergus serrator Anatidae 130 km/h
81 mph[24]
Grey-headed albatross Thalassarche chrysostoma Diomedeidae 127 km/h
79 mph[25]		 Sustained reported horizontal speed (ground speed) for approximately nine hours with no rest on high tailwinds during an Antarctic storm.[25] 2.2 m (7 ft 3 in) wingspan allows for high power use from wind.
Saker falcon Falco cherrug Falconidae 36–51 km/h
22–32 mph[26][27]		 111 km/h
69 mph[26]		 Flight speed is sometimes reported as up to 150 km/h (93 mph),[28] though the speed of their dives do not appear to have ever been formally measured.
Common swift Apus apus Apodidae 32.4–38.2 km/h
20.1–23.7 mph[29]		 111.96 km/h
69.57 mph[3][30]		 This species holds the record for fastest recorded flight by a bird under its own power (e.g., not assisted by wind or gravity).[3][4]
White-throated needletail Hirundapus caudacutus Apodidae 77 km/h
48 mph[31]		 An early report[32] gave an estimated flight speed in excess of 161 km/h (100 mph), though this was not measured via any instruments and has not been observed since. Difficulties in human estimation of speed and altitude, especially in a moving vehicle, are well-known in relation to these swifts;[33] nevertheless, unconfirmed maximum speed values for this species are still frequently reported.[3]
Spur-winged goose Plectropterus gambensis Anatidae approx. 96 km/h
60 mph[34]
Great snipe Gallinago media Scolopacidae 15–27 m/s
54–97 km/h		 On 4,300–6,800 km non-stop autumn migration direct from Sweden to tropical Africa.[35]
Eurasian whimbrel Numenius phaeopus Scolopacidae 18–24 m/s
65–86 km/h		 On 4,000–5,500 km non-stop autumn migration direct from Iceland to West Africa.[36]
Canvasback Aythya valisineria Anatidae 90–115 km/h
56–71 mph[37]
Common eider Somateria mollissima Anatidae 63 km/h
39 mph[38]
Whooper swan Cygnus cygnus Anatidae 60.1 km/h
37.3 mph[5]		 97–100 km/h
60–62 mph[39]		 160 km/h
100 mph
(see Remarks, right)		 Flying time on migration from Iceland to Ireland (1,100 km) on 9 December 1967 of an estimated 7 hours, making use of a 50 m/s (180 km/h; 100 kn) northerly jet stream wind at 8,200 m altitude in the lower stratosphere for part of the distance (where tolerating a temperature of -48°C, and air pressure only one third of surface pressure).[40][41]
Bar-tailed godwit Limosa lapponica Scolopacidae 60 km/h
37 mph		 Bird tagged 'E7' flew 11,680 km non-stop from Alaska to New Zealand in 8.1 days.[42]
Black stork Ciconia nigra Ciconiidae 57.6 km/h
35.8 mph[23]		 112 km/h
70 mph[43]
Anna's hummingbird Calypte anna Trochilidae 56 km/h
35 mph[44]		 98.28 km/h
61.07 mph[45]		 Maximum speed was measured from a courtship dive, made possible by their extremely low drag.[45]
Magnificent frigatebird Fregata magnificens Fregatidae 36.29 km/h
22.55 mph[46]		 46–48 km/h
29–30 mph[46][47]
Eurasian hobby Falco subbuteo Falconidae 20–25 km/h
12–16 mph[48]

See also

Note

References

  1. ↑ "Basic Facts About Peregrine Falcon". Defenders of Wildlife. Retrieved 14 May 2013.
  2. ↑ U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (15 January 2008). "All About the Peregrine Falcon". Department of the Interior. Archived from the original on 2008-04-16. Retrieved 14 May 2013.
  3. 1 2 3 4 Bourton, Jody (2 March 2010). "Supercharged swifts take flight speed record". BBC Earth News. Retrieved 14 May 2013.
  4. 1 2 VanHelder, Mike (2016-11-21). "The Common Swift Is No Longer the Fastest-Flying Animal". Audubon Magazine.
  5. 1 2 3 Safi, K.; Kranstauber, B.; Weinzierl, R.; Griffin, L.; Rees, E.C.; Cabot, D.; Cruz, S.; Proaño, C.; Takekawa, J.Y.; Newman, S.H.; Waldenström, J.; Bengtsson, D.; Kays, R.; Wikelski, M.; Bohrer, G. (2013). "Flying with the wind: scale dependency of speed and direction measurements in modelling wind support in avian flight". Movement Ecology. 1 (4) 4. Bibcode:2013MvEco...1....4S. doi:10.1186/2051-3933-1-4. PMC 4337751. PMID 25709818.
  6. ↑ Pennycuick, C.J. (2008). "The Flight Environment". Modelling the Flying Bird. Elsevier. pp. 21–36. doi:10.1016/S1875-306X(08)00002-6.
  7. ↑ Pennycuick, C.J. (2008). "Mechanics of Level Flight". Modelling the Flying Bird. Elsevier. pp. 37–78. doi:10.1016/S1875-306X(08)00003-8.
  8. ↑ Lincoln, Frederick R.; Peterson, Steven R.; Zimmerman, John L. (1998). Anatasi, P.A. (ed.). Migration of Birds (PDF). United States Fish & Wildlife Service.
  9. 1 2 Horvitz, N.; Spair, N.; Liechti, F.; Avissar, R.; Mahrer, I.; Nathan, R. (2014). "The gliding speed of migrating birds: slow and safe or fast and risky?" (PDF). Ecology Letters. 17 (6): 670–679. Bibcode:2014EcolL..17..670H. doi:10.1111/ele.12268. PMID 24641086.
  10. ↑ "Relative Velocities: Ground Reference". National Aeronautics and Space Administration. Glenn Research Center.
  11. 1 2 3 Hill, Katie (2024-05-20). "Migrating mallard clocked at 103 mph, breaking recent speed record". Outdoor Life.
  12. 1 2 White, C. M.; Clum, N. J.; Cade, T. J.; Hunt, W. G. (2024). S. M. Billerman; M. G. Smith (eds.). "Peregrine Falcon (Falco peregrinus), version 1.1 - Behavior, Locomotion". Birds of the World. Ithaca, NY, USA: Cornell Lab of Ornithology. doi:10.2173/bow.perfal.01.1.
  13. ↑ Cochran, William W.; Applegate, Roger D. (1986). "Speed of flapping flight of merlins and peregrine falcons". The Condor. 88 (31): 397–398. doi:10.2307/1368897. JSTOR 1368897.
  14. 1 2 3 White, Clayton M.; Nelson, R. Wayne (1991). "Hunting Range and Strategies in a Tundra Breeding Peregrine and Gyrfalcon Observed from a Helicopter". Journal of Raptor Research. 25 (3): 49–62.
  15. ↑ Harpole, Tom (March 2005). "Falling with the Falcon". Air & Space magazine. Retrieved 14 May 2013.
  16. ↑ Ponitz, Ben; Schmitz, Anke; Fischer, Dominik; Bleckmann, Horst; Brücker, Christoph (2014). "Diving-Flight Aerodynamics of a Peregrine Falcon (Falco peregrinus)". PLOS ONE. 9 (2) e86506. Bibcode:2014PLoSO...986506P. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0086506. PMC 3914994. PMID 24505258.
  17. ↑ Booms, T. L.; Cade, T. J.; Clum, N. J. (2020). S. M. Billerman (ed.). "Gyrfalcon (Falco rusticolus), version 1.0". Birds of the World. Ithaca, NY, USA: Cornell Lab of Ornithology. doi:10.2173/bow.gyrfal.01.
  18. ↑ Tucker, V. A.; Cade, T. J.; Tucker, A. E. (July 1998). "Diving speeds and angles of a gyrfalcon (Falco rusticolus)" (PDF). Journal of Experimental Biology. 201 (13): 2061–2070. Bibcode:1998JExpB.201.2061T. doi:10.1242/jeb.201.13.2061. PMID 9622578.
  19. ↑ Duerr, A.E.; Miller, T.A.; Lanzone, M.; Brandes, D.; Cooper, J.; O'Malley, K.; Maisonneuve, C.; Tremblay, J.; Katzner, T. (2012). "Testing an Emerging Paradigm in Migration Ecology Shows Surprising Differences in Efficiency between Flight Modes". PLOS ONE. 7 (4) e35548. Bibcode:2012PLoSO...735548D. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0035548. PMC 3338847. PMID 22558166.
  20. ↑ Katzner TE; Turk PJ; Duerr AE; Miller TA; Lanzone MJ; Cooper JL; Brandes D; Tremblay JA; Lemaître J (2015). "Use of multiple modes of flight subsidy by a soaring terrestrial bird, the golden eagle Aquila chrysaetos, when on migration". Journal of the Royal Society Interface. 12 (112) 20150530. Bibcode:2015JRSI...1250530K. doi:10.1098/rsif.2015.0530. PMC 4685835. PMID 26538556.
  21. 1 2 Katzner, T. E.; Kochert, M.N.; Steenhof, K.; McIntyre, C.L.; Craig, E.H.; Miller, T.A. (2020). P. G. Rodewald; B. K. Keeney (eds.). "Golden Eagle (Aquila chrysaetos), version 2.0". Birds of the World. Ithaca, NY, USA: Cornell Lab of Ornithology. doi:10.2173/bow.goleag.02.
  22. ↑ Duncan, Bruce W. (1990). "Identification and Status of Bald Eagles, Golden Eagles, Turkey Vultures, and Black Vultures in Ontario". Ontario Birds. 8 (2): 61–69.
  23. 1 2 Bruderer, Bruno; Boldt, Andreas (2001). "Flight characteristics of birds: I. radar measurements of speeds". Ibis. 143: 178–204. doi:10.1111/j.1474-919X.2001.tb04475.x.
  24. ↑ Gibbons, Richard. "Red-breasted Merganser Mergus serrator". Houston Audubon.
  25. 1 2 Catry, Paulo; Phillips, Richard A.; Croxall, John P. (2004-10-01). "Sustained Fast Travel by a Gray-headed Albatross (Thalassarche Chrysostoma) Riding an Antarctic Storm". The Auk. 121 (4): 1208–1213. doi:10.1093/auk/121.4.1208. ISSN 1938-4254.
  26. 1 2 Gamauf, Anita; Dosedel, Robert (2012). "Satellite telemetry of Saker Falcons (Falco cherrug) in Austria: juvenile dispersal at the westernmost distribution limit of the species". Aquila. 119: 65–78.
  27. ↑ Prommer, Mátyás; Bagyura, János (2021). "Saker falcon Falco cherrug". In Panuccio, M.; Mellone, U.; Agostini, N. (eds.). Migration Strategies of Birds of the Western Palearctic. CRC Press. pp. 246–250. doi:10.1201/9781351023627-32. ISBN 978-1-351-02362-7. Flight speed of migrating sakers...is remarkably constant: they fly roughly about 40 km/h over land and about 50 km/h above the sea
  28. ↑ Lyon, Charlie (2025-12-30). "10 fastest birds of prey in the world – able to reach speeds of almost 200 MPH, these deadly aerial predators strike in a blink of an eye". BBC Wildlife Magazine.
  29. ↑ Henningson, P.; Karlsson, H.; Bäckman, J; Alerstam, T.; Hedenström, A. (2009). "Flight speeds of swifts (Apus apus): seasonal differences smaller than expected". Proceedings of the Royal Society B. 276 (1666): 2395–2401. doi:10.1098/rspb.2009.0195. PMC 2690467. PMID 19324733.
  30. ↑ Henningson, P.; Johansson, L.C.; Hedenström, A. (2010). "How swift are swifts Apus apus?". Journal of Avian Biology. 41: 94–98. doi:10.1111/j.1600-048X.2009.04850.x.
  31. ↑ Yamguchi, N.M.; Mori, S.; Yonekawa, H.; Waga, D.; Higuchi, H. (2021). "Light-Level Geolocators Reveal That White-Throated Needletails (Hirundapus caudacutus) Follow a Figure-Eight Migration Route Between Japan and Australia". Pacific Science. 75 (1): 75–84. doi:10.2984/75.1.3.
  32. ↑ Le Souef, A.S. (1930). "Swift Drinking". The Emu. 29 (3): 234. Bibcode:1930EmuAO..29Q.234L. doi:10.1071/MU929234b.
  33. ↑ Coventry, Peter (1989). "Comments on airborne sightings of white-throated needletails Hirundapus caudacutus". Australian Bird Watcher. 13 (1): 36–37.
  34. ↑ Daneel, A. B. (1943). "The speed and height of bird flight". The Ostrich. 14 (2): 61–64. doi:10.1080/00306525.1943.9633985.
  35. ↑ Klaassen, Raymond H. G.; Alerstam, Thomas; Carlsson, Peter; Fox, James W.; Lindström, Åke (2011-12-23). "Great flights by great snipes: long and fast non-stop migration over benign habitats". Biology Letters. 7 (6): 833–835. doi:10.1098/rsbl.2011.0343. ISSN 1744-9561. PMC 3210655. PMID 21613283. Retrieved 2026-08-04.
  36. ↑ Alves, José A.; Dias, Maria P.; Méndez, Verónica; Katrínardóttir, Borgný; Gunnarsson, Tómas G. (2016-11-30). "Very rapid long-distance sea crossing by a migratory bird". Scientific Reports. 6 (1). doi:10.1038/srep38154. ISSN 2045-2322. PMC 5128861. PMID 27901077. Retrieved 2026-08-03.
  37. ↑ Mowbray, T.B. (2020). Poole, A.F.; Gill, F.B. (eds.). "Canvasback (Aythya valisineria), version 1.0: Behavior - Locomotion". Birds of the World. doi:10.2173/bow.canvas.01.
  38. ↑ Pelletier, David; Guillemette, Magella; Grandbois, Jean-Marc; Butler, Patrick J. (2008). "To fly or not to fly: high flight costs in a large sea duck do not imply an expensive lifestyle". Proceedings of the Royal Society B. 275 (1647): 2117–2124. Bibcode:2008PBioS.275.2117P. doi:10.1098/rspb.2008.0422. PMC 2603210. PMID 18522911.
  39. ↑ Mlodinow, S.G.; Pyle, P.; Boesman, P.F.D.; Boland, K.C. (2025). B. K. Keeney (ed.). "Whooper Swan (Cygnus cygnus), version 2.0". Birds of the World. Ithaca, NY, USA: Cornell Lab of Ornithology. doi:10.2173/bow.whoswa.02.
  40. ↑ Stewart, A. G. (1978). "Swans flying at 8,000 metres". British Birds. 71 (10): 459–460.
  41. ↑ Elkins, N. (1979). "High altitude flight by swans". British Birds. 71 (5): 238–239.
  42. ↑ Gill, Robert E; Tibbitts, T. Lee; Douglas, David C; Handel, Colleen M; Mulcahy, Daniel M; Gottschalck, Jon C; Warnock, Nils; McCaffery, Brian J; Battley, Philip F; Piersma, Theunis (2009-02-07). "Extreme endurance flights by landbirds crossing the Pacific Ocean: ecological corridor rather than barrier?". Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences. 276 (1656): 447–457. doi:10.1098/rspb.2008.1142. ISSN 0962-8452. PMC 2664343. PMID 18974033. Retrieved 2026-08-03.
  43. ↑ Chevallier, D.; Handrich, Y.; Georges, J.-Y.; Baillon, F.; Brossault, P.; Aurouet, A.; Le Maho, Y.; Massemin, S. (2010). "Influence of weather conditions on the flight of migrating black storks". Proceedings of the Royal Society B. 277 (1695): 2755–2764. Bibcode:2010PBioS.277.2755C. doi:10.1098/rspb.2010.0422. PMC 2981984. PMID 20427337.
  44. ↑ Clark, C. J.; Dudley, R. (2009). "Flight costs of long, sexually selected tails in hummingbirds". Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences. 276 (1664): 2109–2115. doi:10.1098/rspb.2009.0090. PMC 2677254. PMID 19324747.
  45. 1 2 Clark, Christopher J. (2009). "Courtship dives of Anna's hummingbird offer insights into flight performance limits". Proceedings of the Royal Society B. 276 (1670): 3047–3052. Bibcode:2009PBioS.276.3047C. doi:10.1098/rspb.2009.0508. PMC 2817121. PMID 19515669.
  46. 1 2 Schnell, Gary D. (1974). "Flight speeds and wingbeat frequencies of the Magnificent Frigatebird". The Auk. 91 (3) 9: 564–570. doi:10.2307/4084475. JSTOR 4084475.
  47. ↑ Diamond, A. W.; Schreiber, E.A. (2020). Poole, A.F.; Gill, F.B. (eds.). "Magnificent Frigatebird (Fregata magnificens) – Behavior". Birds of the World. doi:10.2173/bow.magfri.01.
  48. ↑ Mirski, Paweł; Korniluk, Michał; Tumiel, Tomasz (2025). "Movements on the breeding grounds and during migration of female Eurasian Hobbies Falco subbuteo tracked with GPS loggers". Bird Study. 73 (1): 66–72. doi:10.1080/00063657.2025.2596397.
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